Day of Federation a fitting time to party

ON WHICH date should Australia Day fall? Not January 26, according to 87-year-old Maclean resident Dennis Seal.

In fact, celebrating on the day we currently call Australia Day should actually be called New South Wales Day because that's what it was called when Governor Arthur Phillip established a colony in Australia.

On January 1, 1901, Australia officially became the Commonwealth of Australia, and that's when Mr Seal believes Australia should be celebrating.

"For quite a time there were six separate colonies... in 1901 they made the Federation and that's when it became one country," Mr Seal said.

"I reckon Federation Day should be the Australia Day."

He does acknowledge that it falls on the same day as New Year's Day, but offers January 2 each year as an alternative.

Many years ago, Mr Seal wrote a letter to the government, but the issue is still contentious.

"When Mr Phillip came here, it was more Settlement Day than discovering Australia," he said.